10th Annual Rieder Beer Olympics...

Ten years ago Jeff and I began throwing a summer party to get together with friends and family for some fun...

Me and Jeff at the First Annual Rieder Beer Olympics ~ July, 28, 2001

Although the parties have changed quite a bit over the years (our first party had only one kid there...my nephew Nate ~ now the adults are easily out numbered 3 to 1 by the kids, and the title of the party was more appropriate then...does anyone remember the days when we were worried if 6 kegs would be enough...and it wasn't, the marathon event, and sleeping over at our house was a given???)...one thing has remained the same...trying to win a very precious (now) Jeff made t-shirt! (The t-shirt is the prize given to the winner of each event...developed 10 years ago during a night out at Friday's in Colerain with our friends Vicky and Marty.)

This year we held our 10th Annual Rieder Beer Olympics!

(Thanks to our friend Melanie, (she works at a beer distributor), who had this sign made for the party!)

I have to admit...being 6 months pregnant I really tried to talk Jeff out of having the party this summer...but so I'm glad we had it (don't tell him that though...what would I have to hold over his head???...hahaha!) According to the Evite count we had 209 people attend out party (kids included). We had family, friends from childhood, work friends, college friends, neighbors, church friends, and others friends we have met along the way attend our party. It's always fun to have so many friends and family in one place to catch up, relive the old days, and to talk about what's to come!

Over the past ten years hosting the party has gotten a ton easier (having the party catered vs. grilling it ourselves, hiring a babysitter for my kids (as long as my kids need supervising I will ALWAYS get a sitter), bounce houses...now a party MUST HAVE!, a beer tap running outside of our house)...and now with 4 kids (almost 5) clean up will start getting easier as well...hahaha! I can't wait to see what this party looks like in ten more years...as the young kids start becoming competitors in the events taking the t-shirts from their mom's and dad's.

As the party for this summer is over...I look forward to next year's party and what games and such we can have to out top this year's party.

Well, until later...